PROJECT GALLERY

THE PROJECT GALLERY – It has been a goal of the NESTL to start a photo gallery of member projects made with items around the library as a resource of info and inspiration to all the DIYers and makers in our community… and what time better than now?

MEMBER PROJECT * (Window restoration) * Linda’s window

Linda happens by the Tool Library now and then to consult on various projects. Last year she had a old window that she knew she could save. NESTL came through to help her make it functional and looking fresh!

MEMBER PROJECT * (French Doors)

Being a member at our old location in in Wedgwood, Gavin was exited when the TL moved into his neighborhood. He spent quite a few weekends planning and working on this great addition to his living space – all the while volunteering with us – as we grew into our new home. Thanks Gavin!

After buying my place, the closet doors in both bedrooms were on my priority list for replacement. They consisted of cheap sheet metal frames, cardboard inserts and flimsy handles which constantly came off the tracks and were noisy and unusable. After deciding to rebuild new doors I needed access to tools and a workshop – I had neither! Then I discovered the new and improved Tool Library. After explaining my situation to the staff and receiving their approval I began my project.

A friend, who is a seasoned carpenter advised that I use a fairly inexpensive Johnson track system which would ensure that the doors slide quietly, effortlessly and smoothly. Another requirement of my design was that they incorporated mirrors. To reduce the weight I used Cedar for the frame as it is a third of the weight of Douglas Fir. He also suggested I use a diseased Pine siding available from Home Depot, due to the unique purple and brown coloring in the grain.After taking measurements I modeled up a design in AutoCAD Fusion and began the construction by creating the frame to hold the mirror and then the outer frame – housing the Pine inserts – which involved cutting channels for the mirrors and Pine inserts and routing out the inside sections of the frames. Finally, I coated the doors with a non-staining polyurethane. The entire project took approximately 40 hours to complete and spanned about a month in the Tool Library’s workshop.

Thank you, Tool Library, for providing me with both the workshop and the tools for an successful project! – Gavin Lund

MEMBER PROJECT * (The very First!!!) !

Amy Coffman – Cribbage Board
For her job, Amy repairs musical instruments which, is awesome and mostly metalwork but she enjoys many other crafts like sewing, cooking, and crocheting. Here we have her Cribbage Board, on which she put her own interesting spin. In her words:

– I made this cribbage board for a friend’s birthday. He’s from Minnesota, and cribbage is very popular in his family. He only had a 2-player board, so I decided to make one with room for 3.

-It’s a folding board that keeps score for three players, and has storage for cards and pegs inside.

-I used some leftover wood from an Ikea shelf cut to length, a small hinge and clasp, and a broken screwdriver shaft for the pegs. I used wood stain for the sides and interior, nail polish to color the pegs, and clear enamel spray paint for the finish.

-I think it took about 3-4 weeks total, spending a few hours as I had each tool.

MEMBER PROJECT (volunteer edition!)

Nicole Edge – Record Bookcase
When I first moved to Seattle back in June, I wanted to build a new bookshelf for my apartment and needed to branch out from the basic tools I brought with me. I started looking for used tools online and came across the tool library. You guys had a few biscuit joiners listed on the website, so I stopped in and signed up. It was a pretty busy Saturday and the coordinators definitely had their hands full! Being new to the city, I was looking for ways to get involved and volunteering seemed like a good opportunity to help out with such a cool project.

My background is in sculpture and I’ve been working with wood to build simple furniture for several years. Professionally, I work as an Art Handler for Artech (a local Fine Art Services Company) where I get to pack, transport and install artwork all over the city. For my next project, I’m planning to borrow a grinder to start repairing an old fiberglass kayak that was rescued from the rubble heap. Wish me luck!

From the tool library, I used the biscuit joiner, bar clamps and a few hand planes to trim the edge banding. I also used my own table saw, router, and sander, but all that could have easily been borrowed, too!

If you are working on a project and would like to share it with our community send us an email with “Project Gallery” in the subject line and some photos of what you have been working on. (Please limit submissions to include only things that you have used tools or appliances from the NESTL.) Thanks!

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The NE Seattle Tool Library is a community-built nonprofit seeking to create a space where tools and knowledge are accessible to Seattle residents regardless of income, while reducing our consumption of tools though sharing, repair and reuse. We have over 6,500 tools available to lend. Check out our searchable inventory!